Ukraine war: UK defends sending depleted uranium shells after Putin warning

 

Ukraine War

If the UK sent depleted uranium-laden shells to Ukraine, Russia would be "forced to react," according to President Vladimir Putin.

He said that the West was using weapons that had a "nuclear component."

The United Kingdom stated that it would supply Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv with armour-piercing rounds, but insisted that there is a low radiation risk associated with them.

Drained uranium "is a standard part and has nothing to do with atomic weapons", the MoD said.

The statement continued, "The British Army has used depleted uranium in its armour piercing shells for decades."

"Russia is aware of this, but it is actively attempting to conceal it. The use of depleted uranium weapons is likely to have little effect on personal health or the environment, according to independent research conducted by scientists from organizations like the Royal Society.

Col. Hamish de Breton-Gordon, a chemical weapons expert and former tank commander in the British Army, characterized Mr. Putin's remarks as "classic disinformation."

He claimed that the Challenger 2 tanks' depleted uranium rounds only contained trace amounts.

He added that it was "laughable" to link depleted uranium rounds to nuclear weapons that use enriched uranium in any way.

After natural uranium has been enriched, what is left over is depleted uranium, which can be used to make weapons or fuel for reactors.

In its solid form, it is slightly radioactive. However, it is used to harden rounds so that they can penetrate steel and armor because it is a very heavy material that is 1.7 times denser than lead.

When a weapon with a tip or core made of depleted uranium hits a solid object, like the tank's side, it goes right through it and explodes in a fiery cloud of gas.

Dust forms as the vapor settles, which is toxic and only slightly radioactive.

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the United Kingdom would be "ready to violate international humanitarian law as in 1999 in Yugoslavia" if it sent depleted uranium weapons to Ukraine.

Mr. Lavrov continued, "There is no doubt this will end badly for London."

A Pentagon spokesperson stated on Tuesday evening that the United States would not be sending any weapons to Ukraine that contained depleted uranium.

In Iraq and the Balkans, where some claim it was linked to birth defects, shells containing depleted uranium were utilized.

According to a report released in 2022 by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), depleted uranium poses a threat to the environment in Ukraine.

It stated that "toxic substances and depleted uranium in common explosives can cause skin irritation, kidney failure, and an increase in the risk of cancer."

It went on to say that "the chemical toxicity of depleted uranium is considered to be a more significant issue than the possible impacts of its radioactivity."